Dark and Stormy Night Challenge Response
by Crye 4 Me
Summary: Challenge response from ladygris and theicemenace. it was a dark and stormy night. Explanation are abound.
1. Chapter 1

AN: This one is an answer to lady Gris and theicemenace's Dark and Stormy Night Challenge. Every submission must begin AND end with the phrase, "It was a dark and stormy night…" and be between 500 and 1000 words. I have 782 words not including my AN and title. I also haven't had this one beta read so any mistakes are all due to me. Drop me a PM if you find anything glaringly obvious and I will change it. Well, ladygris, you did it again, motivated me to answer a challenge.

**Dark and Stormy Night Challenge Response**

**By: Crye 4 Me**

"It was a dark and stormy night." Evan began he and SGA-1 were sitting around the campfire. The rain was pelting down and the lightning flashed around him.

"You have got to be kidding me." Rodney complained. He was bundled up in his blankets and sitting in the doorway of his tent. "A cliché. At this time of night. I don't want to hear this. I'm going to bed." He zipped up his tent and from the rustling they heard it was assumed the persnickety doctor went to bed.

John shook his head and turned to his second in command and stated. "I could defiantly go for the clichéd story right about now. Continue, please."

Evan grinned and continued with his story starting from the top. "It was a dark and stormy night. The lightning flashed and the thunder roared." On queue both the lightning flashed and thunder roared. Evan raised an eyebrow. He smirked. "Maybe, I should change the subject. This one is hitting a little close to home. If I can conceivably call the thunder and lightning just by talking about it maybe we don't want the oogly booglies to come out of the stories."

"What's supposed to be so scary about a stormy night?" Teyla asked confused.

"Yeah, I know your planet doesn't have to worry about the Wraith, but why is a stormy night suddenly a cliché?" Ronon was also confused.

"It's a cliché because it says that all bad things happen on stormy nights." John said sagely. He reached over and grabbed a marshmallow to roast on his stick. "It's not true because just as many things happen in broad daylight or on clear evenings. We generalise our horror story telling so that most start with that, it was a dark and stormy night."

Ronon looked at Teyla, who looked back at Ronon. They both shrugged and in unison they said. "Oh, okay."

"In the clichéd stories its either the dumb blonde or the super smart scientist who dies first. That's why I don't like them." Came Rodney's muffled voice from in the tent.

"Rodney, if you want to participate in our discussion, you had better come out of the tent." Evan stated waspishly.

"No, it's cold out there and your going to start telling ghost stories." Rodney complained.

"Then, stay out of the conversation." John interjected.

Rodney harrumphed. The assembled group heard a rustling in the tent before the zipper opened and a grumpy doctor crawled out. "If I get sick sitting here in the damp, you'll be sorry."

"No, Rodney, I'm pretty sure you'll be sorry. You'll be the one sick." Teyla reasoned.

Rodney glared and sat down next to the Athosian woman.

Ronon was frowning slightly. "I thought your planet didn't have anything like the Wraith?" When the Earthlings all nodded he continued. "What are oogly booglies?"

John and Evan roared in laughter. John elbowed Evan in between his guffaws and stated. "You can answer that one."

Evan, wiping his eyes of the few tears his laughter had managed to call, retorted. "No, Sir. I'll leave that one to you."

"Are you refusing an order?" John stated looking in wonder at Evan.

"Was that an order, Sir?"

John's face scrunched up, he really didn't want to have to explain the differences between the real and make believe monsters.

"Oh, for heavens sake." Rodney exclaimed. "You two remember the monster movies we all watch when John has his pick on movie night?" The two Pegasus galaxy natives nodded. "Those monsters are oogly booglies. There are other types as well, but we won't get into those tonight. That's the clichéd story Major Lorne was starting. They always seem to go along the same lines. The start is, it was a dark and stormy night, blah, blah, blah. Then the oogly booglies come out and chase the characters. Then either the dumb blonde or the really smart scientist dies and finally the hero saves himself, the semi-smart girl and maybe one or two other, usually killing said oogly boogly in the process. And they lived happily ever after. The End."

"Way to ruin the plot to a really clichéd story, Rodney." Evan complained rolling his eyes.

"We have those on Athos." Teyla exclaimed with a smile.

"We had them on Sateda as well." Ronon stated. "I could tell you one if you'd like."

"That would be wonderful, Ronon. I'm sure Rodney, John and I have heard every Earth one there is." Evan stated kindly. "And as the weather seems to have taken a shine to my voice maybe we'll try our luck with someone else."

"Well, It all starts on a dark and stormy night. . ."


	2. Chapter 2

AN: Ok, because many of you asked. Here is chapter 2. It come out at an amazing 811 words. We have Ronon's story.

Chapter 2

"Well, It all starts on a dark and stormy night. . ." Ronon's deep gravely voice echo surprisingly well once he entered storyteller mode.

Rodney, John, Evan and Teyla all listened intently as Ronon spoke. The Satedan was a rather good storyteller when he wanted to be. His voice rose on the good parts and softened in strategic parts giving it verisimilitude.

Everyone was so interested in the story that they didn't notice that certain gleam in Ronon's eye. The one that told you that there was going to be trouble.

Ronon smiled as he continued. "So you see this insect." John shivered. "This insect only comes out in the night. Only on those stormy nights when there a lot of thunder and lightning. On Sateda we call them glimworms and I'm not sure we have them any where else in Pegasus." Ronon grinned as he looked around his eyes caught Teyla's and comprehension flared through her but her outward expression didn't change.

Ronon had to pause as a particularly bright flash of lightning brightened the clearing.

"One, Two." Rodney counted and **BOOM** the thunder crashed over them. "Wow, the storms getting close. That bolt of lightning touched down only two klicks away."

Ronon hid a smile. "On Sateda, we always learned to make friends with the glimworms, because if we didn't they could draw the lightning both away from or towards us depending on their moods. A happy glimworm would pull the storms away from civilization. An angry glimworm would demolish civilization."

"I remember as a child, standing in a storm. Cold, lost, afraid watching the glimworms flitting about drawing the lightning bolts away from me. They are especially fond of children it seems and would never allow one to be harmed. I was only 3 years old at the time, but it was the glimworms that saved me, that lead my parents to me. That I made friends with deep in that forest. It was they who helped shape me into the warrior that I am now. My family decided to train me after the found me. Not all Satedan children are given the chance to learn so young."

Evan was confused. "You had these glimworms to help with your weather systems?"

Ronon nodded. "If you made friends with them then that's when you were trained."

Rodney was deep in thought. "Where's the cliché in that story?" He complained.

Ronon smirked. "The cliché is not in the story. The cliché is in real life. I lied. Glimworms are on most every planet in this galaxy. I would know I've traveled to a good many of them. I noticed a nest of them just across the field before we camped. One thing glimworms hate is complainers. You were saying the first to die is either the stupid blonde or the super smart scientist. Well Rodney, the storm is getting closer because there is no stupid blonde here. The heroing type would be, well, a toss up between me or Sheppard. I know our enemy and what to do and Sheppard for shear tenacity. And the one or two others would be Major Lorne and Teyla. So that leaves You Rodney. Better run."

Rodney sat there staring at Ronon. His mouth had fallen open and he literally had the gaping mouth of a fish out of water. "Are you serious?" He stammered.

"This is very serious, Rodney. Glimworms are on Athos as well, they do not like certain traits. Complaining is one of them and you will reach the gate faster if you run we will be safe if you leave. Do you not want to be the hero, for once?" Teyla stated seriously. "You must either make friends with them or leave through the gate."

Rodney's shoulders dropped. "You can't be serious. For crying out loud." He dropped his gear, keeping only a canteen a G.D.O. and a power bar. He glared at Ronon before heading out at a full run to make the half hour walk to the gate as quickly as possible.

Ronon waited until he was sure Rodney was out od earshot before he burst into laughter. Teyla hid her snickers as well.

John was staring off into the darkness watching were Rodney had left. Evan was looking at Ronon and Teyla. He suddenly realised in that second just what was going on.

"Rodney was never in any danger was he?" Evan asked suspiciously.

"No, glimworms. Lightning bugs or as you call them on Earth, fire flies." Teyla snickered.

'Oh, you two are bad. That's just mean. You had all three of us going there." John replied smirking. "You think he'll be ok."

"He'll be fine." Ronon replied.

Twenty minutes later the gate kawooshed to life. And Rodney panted his way through. He fell to his knees. Gasping he stated. "It was a dark and stormy night…"


	3. Chapter 3

Dark and Stormy Chapter 3  
>Rodney's Story<p>

AN: Ok, we have Rodney's Story at 723 words less this author's note. It's kind of a April Fool's wrapped in one. Thank you to Genuka for beta reading it. Sorry for the double post had to fix something.

"It was a dark and stormy night…" He panted between gasps. "Major Lorne can call the thunder with his voice and, and Ronon."

Everyone just looked at Rodney as if he had been sniffing glue, or at least had injected a massive dosage of the Wraith enzyme once again.

"Rodney, Why don't you let Dr. Beckett take a look at you." Dr. Elizabeth Weir stated in a calming voice.

Rodney glared at her. "No, you don't understand, they're after me. I have to check the database and make sure they are not native to THIS planet and that we are all safe here." Rodney was full out babbling now and Elizabeth couldn't decide whether or not the dilated pupils were from fear or intoxication of some sort, either alcoholic or drug induced.

Dr. Beckett had been quietly paged outside of Rodney's hearing and had arrived quickly in response. He stood off to the side and was cautious about approaching the flustered scientist. The pernickety man was huffing and puffing like a racehorse and soon enough there was one puff too many and down he went.

Elizabeth gave a slight scream as she rushed to the head scientist's side. "Carson?" She queried.

The doctor, who had been fussing with Rodney as the man lay on the gate room floor, looked up at her and allowed his medical team to take the prone man away. "I think it's just exhaustion. It looks to me like he has been running from something and the fear has caught up to him. I don't actually think we will know what happened until Colonel Sheppard and his team get back. I'll be in the infirmary with Rodney."

Elizabeth nodded. "I'll call Sheppard and get back to you." Carson nodded and followed his patient out of the gate room.

Elizabeth walked over to Ops. She stared off into space for a moment before she shook her head. "Dial up Sheppard's last known address." The gate spun and kawooshed to life. "Colonel Sheppard, this is Atlantis. Come in please." She said over the radio. There was no answer. "Chuck, bring up the malp."

A picture sprung to life on the screen depicting the planet. A huge thunderstorm raged across the screen.

"Ok, that explains the dark and stormy night." Elizabeth admitted wryly and just starting to get a bit worried.

"Our radio signal can't penetrate the storm." Chuck said. "We'll have to wait until Colonel Sheppard comes home or makes contact tomorrow."

Elizabeth sighed. "Yes, Another team isn't going to go out into **that**; Especially if we don't know where they camped. I'll go tell Carson."

Elizabeth walked into the infirmary. She saw Rodney hooked up to the equipment. He looked like death warmed over. His hair was still slightly damp from his trip through the rain and he was shivering under the blankets.

Carson walked over to her. "Has he regained consciousness yet?" Carson shook his head. "We can't get a hold of Sheppard. The storms too thick." She informed him.

"I agree. He's not hurt so far, but he's probably going to get sick. He keeps murmuring about how the glimworms are going to get him. Aren't those what Ronon and Teyla called those little bugs that helped Sheppard with that uber Wraith." Carson stated.

Elizabeth laughed out loud. "They were. Do you think he would remember that?" The two friends shared a smile and shook their heads. "You think Ronon's sense of humour went to far."

"This time, yes." Carson replied. "He's going to get really sick. Should we play a nasty joke on them?"

A delighted smile broke out on Elizabeth face.

The gate kawooshed to life and the team laughingly walked through it.

The gate room was sombre as the four people returned from the planet in high spirits.

A voice whispered out. "They don't know. How can they not know."

"Nobodies going to miss him. I know I won't." Someone else whispered.

"Oh, come on people just because you didn't like him doesn't mean other people don't." Still another whispered.

Ronon was the first to catch on to the whispering around him. He elbowed Teyla, who gasped and alerted Evan and John.

"What's going on guy's?" John asked in a small voice.

Carson and Elizabeth stood side by side with their arms crossed. Carson raised an eyebrow, and said. "What's this about a dark and stormy night?"


End file.
